In the beginning, Chicano theatre was originated in El Paso, TX by a band of explorers. These plays were originally for religious purposes, and later expanded to adhere to social changes and issues. As Hispanic theatre began to expand, it made its way to California in light of the gold rush. Major cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco became centers for these shows. Later, they began to spread even further to places like Chicago, where hispanic population was not quite as common. This growth lead to the establishment of bilingual theatres in places like Kingsville, Texas. Later, Cuban-American theatre was introduced, a little before WWII, when immigration was booming. Many Cubans immigrated to America in light of the Cuban revolution, so many Cuban-American dramas surrounded that theme. Another more specific theatre that came about, was Mexican-American theatre. Next to Canada, Mexico is the United States' closest neighbor. In this, they are the second largest minority in the country. This group seems to be oppressed a great bit, especially in modern time. This group was so large than any hispanic or latino group who immigrated were automatically considered to be Mexicans. The mexican culture was basically brushed aside and generalized, so the Mexican-American theatre gave the mexican people the chance to make their unique culture known to the public, in theatrical ways. Especially with the difficulty of immigration and stereotypes, it was very important for each hispanic culture to make their personal lives known and show the public what they were doing to oppress each group and make them feel a certain way behind closed doors. In another way, Puerto Rican theatre, when it came about, showed Puerto Rican life in the streets, rather than just culture and what happens behind closed doors. They brought their theatre out of the actual theatre, and into everyday life. This tactic originated in New York, where populations were high. This way, audiences could not help but come across the show rather than find the time and place and purchase a ticket. This gave audiences a chance to interact, which made it even more exciting. This made the Puerto Ricans more than just "hispanic" or even "Mexicans". It helped set them apart from others. Each theatre group from each culture had the same goals: to make their culture known and understood. Theatre is the best way to do this because it provides insight through excitement and drama, rather than just standing up at a podium and asking people to listen to how you feel, especially if your group is overlooked.